Fish Species Caught In Cape Town

Tuna species caught in Cape Town

Yellowfin Tuna

Cape Town’s most revered fighting fish. Generally caught around 40 nm off shore.
Weather and water temperature play a large role in catching these tuna. Yellowfin
tuna are predominantly caught during Cape Town’s summer months (November - February)
but are known to be caught all year round. Larger tuna are known to provide a serious
fight and may take up to 4 hours to land. Generally a good tasting red meat fish.
A popular fish for sushi.

Big Eye Tuna

A strong large tuna known for lurking in waters up to 1000m in depth making it the
deepest going tuna of all the tuna species. Research has shown they are known to dive
into the deeps based on the moon cycles.

Sharks caught in Cape Town

Mako Shark

The fastest shark of all shark species reaching speeds of 97km/h.
Often found leaping out of the water, some scientists account this
activity to searching for their prey from above. The mako shark is
known for being violent and often overlooked due to their smaller size.

All other fish caught in Cape Town

Cape Yellowtail

Also known as the giant yellowtail. This fish is found in the cold
Atlantic waters off the coast of the Southern Cape. These fish are
known to migrate during the sardine run (May – July) towards the
east coast and we at Xtreme Fishing Charters target them during
November to April, even though they can be caught throughout the year.

Striped black marlin

One of the fastest fish in the world reaching speeds up to 129km/h,
this is estimated from the speed at which they are able to
unwind fishing line from the reel. The females are often
larger than the males. They hunt near the surface and prefer
warmer waters. The stripes only appear on the marlin when they
are excited and are otherwise not visible. This was the fish
that inspired Hemingway to write “The old man and the sea”.

Cape Snoek

Highly sought after by the local communities for its taste.
The Cape Snoek or snake mackerel is found around Southern Africa
and as north as Angola. This fish has a barracuda like appearance
and is a popular South African braai fish.

Dorado

Dolphin fish or Mahi-Mahi are a greedy fish found near
the surface. They are often caught dwelling underneath
floating ocean debris. A sought after fish for avid anglers
and known for their aerial acrobatics when hooked. They
like bright coloured and shiny lures.

Wahoo

Although rarely caught an exciting fighting fish accounted
for by its speed and erratic behaviour. Usually preferring a
solitary environment but can be found in small shoals. An
immaculate fish when cooked.